How to Build a Bestselling Craft Beer Brand

Thanks to a resurgence in appreciation for handcrafted, small-batch brews, thousands of craft beer brands are popping up across the United States.

For lager lovers and ale aficionados, this is heaven on earth. But microbrewery marketing teams are left scratching their heads with the same lingering question: how can beer brands stand out from the competition?

If you’re in the same boat, fear not. This post explains how your brewery can tell a strong brand story through logo design, brand personality, and digital content. Want more? Check out our brewery eBook where we interview Upslope Brewing, Hong Kong Beer Co., and Cultivator Advertising & Design to learn what it takes to build a remarkable beer brand.

We’ll also share our number one secret for how today’s top brewery brands stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to building a memorable brand in any industry, we all know that logo design is important. For a brewery logo to be successful it must tell an interesting brand story. Brooklyn-based Sixpoint brewery succeeds with a six-pointed star that stands alone as a recognizable brand symbol. The star is also adaptable, meaning it easily translates across packaging design and digital marketing materials. Lastly, Sixpoint’s website offers a quick history lesson about the symbol’s role in brewing. According to Sixpoint’s about page, the star is a symbol that has been used by brewers since at least the year 1300.“The star symbolizes the purity of the craft, and folklore claims the six individual points each represent six different critical elements of the craft itself: grain, water, hops, yeast, malt, and the brewer” the site reads.

In honor of the official insignia of the Brewer’s Guild, one of the first trade guilds of Europe, Sixpoint created their own star that echoes days gone past.

This star succeeds independently as a recognizable symbol without being accompanied by a brand name, and it signifies an important part of brewing history.

Craft breweries should take advantage of packaging design and use it as an opportunity to showcase their personalities. To really stand out on the shelves, today’s beer brands have to take big risks in typography, color, and illustration.

For example, Left Hand Brewing created unique logo designs for every beer flavor. While the labels are adorned with their own hues and imagery, each one includes a different version of a face. Some are more subtle (as seen in the green Good Juju label) and some are more evident, as demonstrated in the Oktoberfest logo.

If you’re a craft beer brand, chances are you already have a compelling story to tell. Whether it’s the tale of your founder, or the secret of a great friendship that inspired your name, it’s important to showcase your originality in your visual branding (even if it means taking big risks). After all, you’re certainly not going to stand out in the beer aisle with an ordinary design!

In today’s image-obsessed world, high quality photography is one of the best ways to tell an authentic brand story. Today’s top brewery brands are using digital content — including videography and photography — to create their coveted lifestyle brands.

Upslope is a great example of a craft beer brand that uses imagery to create a sense of community. Their images depict people participating in adventurous activities like hiking, camping, and fishing. By showcasing different ways their beer can be enjoyed, Upslope shows what their brand stands for. They also succeed at generating a sense of belonging, and tell a story of fun and adventure that people want to be part of.

The Secret to a Bestselling Craft Beer Brand

Even after your beer brand is armed with a memorable logo, a strong story, and compelling digital content, there’s still one important step towards creating a strong beer brand.

So, what’s the secret?

Bestselling brewery brands use Brandfolder to store, share, and showcase their most important brand assets.

Okay, so you probably guessed we’d say that. But we wouldn’t tell you this if it wasn’t true! In fact, you can see for yourself:

Michelle Polizzi is a freelance writer and former content coordinator for Brandfolder. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her bicycling around Denver, catching a live concert or cooking up a fresh vegetarian dish.